Illuminated ornament for shoes



March 17, 1953 J. DE MEROLIS ET AL 2,632,093

ILLUMINATED ORNAMENT FOR SHOES Filed April 4, 1949 INVENTORS 1s .29 L 1 efi 'efih Delkqralz's v ZemnderDa'IiZzb Patented Mar. 17, 1953 ILLUMINATED" ORNAMENT FOR SHOES Joseph De Merolis. and Alexander Di Lizio, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April 4, 1949, Serial'No. 85,414

6 Claims;

Our invention. relates to a new; useful and decorative illuminated ornament that canloeattached'to any article: of wearing apparel, such as a shoe, collar, the top of a sports stocking; axeoat lapel, hat, dress or other suitable item on'which the device can be conveniently supported. Aside from the illuminating means, an essential feature of the invention comprises the ornamental element which may be in the form. of a shoe-bow or buckle, rosette, necktie, flower or various devices representative of items in the insect, animal and vegetable kingdoms.

An object of the invention is to provide a structure, that may be mounted wherever desired, including electric lamps, such as flash light bulbs, a battery, a switch, the necessary circuit conducs tors and an ornamental element all combinedin a single unitary article;

Another'object of this invention is'to provide, in an article of the kind mentioned, a foundationconsisting of a panel'on which isbfixedly mounted lamp sockets, a battery holder, a switch, suitable circuit conductors. includingsaid switch, battery holder and a terminal contactto been:- gaged by the center terminal of a drycell battery, and an attaching clip to temporarily fasten. the deviceto a supporting articleof. wearing apparel, said lamp sockets. adapted to receive electric lamps or bulbs which detachably retain an ornamental itemon the face of the foundation.

A further object of this invention is toiorm the battery holder and attaching clip from a single strip of'electrio conductive material to-assisti in maintaining a low cost ofimanufacture.

A stillfurther object ofithe present'invention is to provide a detachable. ornamental elementl so fashioned that it may be readily andquickly re.- moved from or assembled upon the foundation. This permits easy substitution of a' new" ornamental element for anold or damaged one; or the replacement of'one'typefor another, either of different color, configuration or both.

With the above and other objectsin view. this invention. consistsof the details' of construction and combination .of elements hereinafter set forth and then designated by the claims;

In order that those skilled'in the .art to which this invention appertains may understand-how-to make and use the same wewill .describeits construction in detail, referring by numerals .to the accompanying drawing forming a-part hereof, in which:

Fig, l is a perspective view of a shoe withthe illuminated ornament attached to one partthereof, thereby illustrating one instance where the device may be employed:

Fig. 2 is anenlargedifragmentary side-ofthe shoe and a portionbroken away. to show the manner of mounting the illuminated ornament thereon and illustrating one method of intermit? tently lighting the lamps through the movements of a persons foot, the instep of which is shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3is an obverse face view of the foundation without'the ornamental element and lamps;

Fig. 4 is a reverse face view thereof with the battery in place;

Fig. 5 is a. section onithex staggered line 5-5 of Fig. 4, the thickness of the panelbeing exagzgerated. i

6 is asection on the line 5-5 of 'Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a frontviewofan ornamental element for detachable connection. to the foundation, said ornamental element being shown as a bow only for illustrative purposes,

In carrying out our." invention asv herein embodied' It representsthe foundation structure irrcluding a panel I! of'stiff insulating material, such as: Bakelite, cardboard or even heavy paper. Thepanel is of any appropriateor desir able outline or: configuration. and. suitable size depending'to some. extent uponrtheusize of the support and surrounding features with which the device is to be'used...

The panel 1 i has two-holes IZ'and. lSlthereth-roug'h'and- Where said panel: is oblong. these holes are locatedlnearthe ends and adjacent'the lower edge. In the. holes i2 and. 13.. are-fixedly mounted thelamp sockets is and i5, respectively, with :the open ends: accessible from the front of the foundationor the-panel, in particular. The centerterminals-of.saidzlamp sockets l4,- I5 are connected by a common. conductor I 6, such as an insulated wire, with aiterminal contact, preferably having some inherentresiliency, secured'to and projecting. from the reverse face of the panel bye-suitable fasteningdevice,..suchzas a screw-"l8 and nut i9.

A strip of, electricv concluctive'material has one, the upper, end bent-upon itself in loop configurationto. form a battery holder 20 withsaid'zupper endimposed on the body of the strip, Figs. Band 6, andthen saidstrip is projected downwardly a suitabiedistance. and the otheror; lower end bent outwardly. and back-upon itself. to. form aaspring attaching clamp or clip "2i of hook; formation whereby thedevice may be detachably mounted on theedgeof the vampof ashoe 22, for; example, ina buttonhole, over the edge of a coat la el collar, top of a stocking or otherarticle ofwear mg apparel. This combined battery holder. loop and attaching clamp structure is secured to the reverse face of the panel H by a sin le fastening means 23, such as a screw and nut, projected through the two thicknesses of the strip where the upper end of the strip, from which the battery holder and attaching clamp are formed, overlap.

A switch member 24 includes a resilient and bendable switch 25 having oppositely projecting side arms 28 and 2! that bridge or straddle the battery holder and attaching clamp structure, Figs. and 5, so that no part of said switch can touch said holder and clamp structure which might cause a short circuit. The arms 36, 2'! have fingers 28, 29, respectively, bent therefrom so that the switch member, as a whole, can be fastened to the reverse face of the panel by fastening devices 35, such as screws and nuts. The fastening devices 39 are projected through fingers 28, 29, the panel and through connector clips 3| and 32 preferably located on the obverse face of the panel. These connector clips are of electric conductive material and are secured to the other circuit sides of the sockets l4 and I5, respectively, as by being soldered to the exterior side surfaces of said sockets.

A battery or dry cell 33 snugly fits in the loop shaped battery holder 26 and the latter makes electrical contact with one pole of said battery, as through the side walls thereof while the other pole or center end terminal engages the terminal contact or post l1. battery is generally employed in this device and since such a battery is usually enclosed in an insulating jacket the latter is removed before the battery is mounted in the holder 26.

As the switch is flexible and bendable there might be times when said switch would contact the spring attaching clamp 2 I. This would cause a short circuit and to prevent such a possibility these parts are insulated from one another. This may be accomplished by adding a coating of insulating material to the adjacent face of either the switch or attaching clamp and for purposes of illustration such insulating material is shown at 34 applied to the attaching clamp 2| or that portion thereof facing the switch.

The ornamental element 35 is shown herein as a bow, merely for purposes of illustration since such ornamental element may be of any desirable configuration, such as an imitation flower, reproductions of animals, insects or other natural objects, comic figures and the like.

Said ornamental element has two holes 36 spaced equal to the spacing of the clamp sockets l4 and l 5 whereby said ornamental element may .be spaced over the forward open ends of the sockets and against the panel and held in place by the lamps or electric light bulbs 31 screwed into said sockets and engaging the front face of the ornamental element. Additional ornamentatlon may be provided, if desired, by the application of rings 38 surrounding the necks of the lamps.

It is obvious that the device can be employed in various capacities, for example, as a necktie, an ornament for coats or dresses or a decorative article on a shoe, as shown. When used on a shoe the movable switch 25 may be located in proximity to the instep, represented by dotted lines 39 in Fig. 2, of the wearer of the shoe 22. Then during the process of taking a step the foot will bend and the instep will force the switch into contact with the battery holder 20 to complete a circuit through the battery, the terminal contact l1, conductor I6 to one side of the sockets I 4 and I5, thence from the other side of said As a small flashlight sockets and through connector clips 3i and 32, fastening devices 30, fingers 28 and 29, and arms 26 and 21 back to the switch 25. As the wearers foot is straightened,thc switch will retract to open the circuit. Thus as the wearer walks the lights will flash intermittently and produce a pleasing effect. In other instances the switch can be actuated manually and when it is desired that the lamps burn continuously said switch can be bent to be constantly in contact with the battery holder. By sliding the battery backward within its holder away from the contact post I! the circuit will be opened and the light cannot be accidentally lit when the device is packed for storage or shipment.

As the ornamental element is detachable it can be removed and replaced by another. For instance, if the device is to be transferred from a shoe of one color to a shoe of another color, the ornamental element of one color can be removed from the foundation and replaced by another of the proper or desired different color.

Of course We do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described as these may be varied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and useful is:

1. An illuminated ornament for removable mounting on an article of wearing apparel consisting of a panel, a dry cell holder of electric conductive material mounted on the back of said panel, a contact post on the back of the panel to be engaged by a terminal of a dry cell assembled in the holder, electric lamp sockets mounted on the panel with their open end at the front of said panel and adapted to receive lamps, a resilient and bendable switch mounted on the panel with a portion of said switch located for cooperation with the dry cell holder, an electric circuit including the holder, the lamp sockets, the dry cell and lamps when assembled in the holder and sockets, respectively, and said switch, and means to removably attach the panel to a suitable support.

2. An illuminated ornament comprising, in combination, a panel of insulating material, a unitary dry cell holder and resilient attaching clamp produced from a single strip of electric conductive material having one end bent into loop formation and the opposite end fashioned into hook-like shape to be placed over the edge of a support, means to fasten said holder and clamp structure to the reverse face of the panel, a dry cell removably and slidably mounted in the holder and in electrical contact with said holder, a resilient contact post mounted on the reverse face of the panel in line with the axial center of the holder and to be engaged by the end terminal of the dry cell, electric lamp sockets mounted in holes in the panel with the open ends of said sockets on the obverse side of the panel, lamps removably mounted in said sockets, one pole of each of said sockets being electrically connected with each other and the contact post, a resilient and bendable switch member having a portion in alignment with a side of the holder with which it is to contact to close a circuit through the lamps, all other parts being out of contact with holder and clamp structure and insulated therefrom by the panel, means to connect the other pole of each socket with the switch, and an ornamental element imposed on the obverse face of the panel and detaohably held in place by the lamps.

3. The illuminated ornament structure according to claim 2 wherein the means to connect the other pole of each socket with the switch consists of connector clips of electric conductive material secured to said sockets and positioned on the obverse face of the panel, and fastening devices projected through said connector clips, the panel and portions of the switch.

4. The illuminated ornament structure according to claim 2 wherein the switch member includes a pair of oppositely projecting arms to bridge over the holder and clamp structure, and fingers projecting from the arms and engaging the reverse face of the panel.

5. The illuminated ornament structure according to claim 2 wherein the ornamental element consists of a decorative article having holes therethrough spaced according to the spacing of the lamp sockets.

6. An illuminated ornament to be worn on a shoe and consisting of a panel, an attaching clip secured to the reverse face of the panel to assume a position between the shoe vamp and wearers foot when the panel is imposed on the exterior of the shoe vamp, an ornamental article on the obverse face of said panel, a dry cell battery holder of electric conductivity on the reverse side of said panel, a dry cell battery in said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,030,516 Lagarde et a1 June 25, 1912 1,135,837 Niehofi Apr. 13, 1915 1,271,390 Thomas July 2, 1918 1,307,456 Prahar June 24, 1919 1,918,347 Mitchell July 18, 1933 1,933,243 Merolis et a1 Oct. 31, 1933 2,007,203 Kraeft July 9, 1935 2,430,607 Gaskonitz Nov. 11, 1947 2,572,760 Rikelman Oct. 23, 1951 

